SPIRITUAL FITNESS- CAN YOU DIAL IT IN?

This is the time of the year when we get swept up in a variety of dynamics - family visits, vacation time, gift giving, making resolutions for next year. This made me think of what I have seen in this past year, being once again involved full time in the fitness industry (I started as a trainer in the early 2000s but left it to spend 7 years as an Active Duty soldier).

People in fitness are as diverse group as any. There is a lot of good going on, but there is also some not so good.

As this year I met more and more people in the industry, a clear pattern emerged for me; the true fitness professionals do what they do because they genuinely love it, and they want others to love it, because they understand how vital fitness is to overall wellbeing. Yes, they are happy to make a living doing what they love but they would probably do it for free, because is what drives them. They live the lifestyle and honor the code, they maintain a balanced life and are honorable people.

Then, there are others. Some, need constant recognition, attention and validation. This usually happens because when deep inside they still feel insecure, because before they got fit, they were someone insecure that got teased a lot, or maybe mistreated. They are still that person in their mind and they need constant admiration to be reminded that they are not. These are the kind of people that don’t really enjoy training others or sharing their knowledge, and that is ok as long as they are not trainers, but sometimes they are, and their clients suffer, because they don’t get the attention they deserve. These are also the competitors that will break someone else s shoes backstage to avoid competition. These are the people that need our love and compassion the most. Because it is so sad to see someone that has accomplished so much, still looking at themselves in the mirror and seeing nothing but a fat, misunderstood kid.

Another type I see lurking in the darkness of the gym, is the person that is carrying a big burden of some kind, and I don’t mean Atlas stones! I mean those with a lot of emotional baggage, still angry at the world for one reason or another, the ones that say things like “the gym is my only escape from a hellish life”. I think is great that they choose the gym and not something destructive like drugs, but I always just want to hug them and indoctrinate them into positive thinking! Fitness seen and managed as an escape, will not lead to happiness! Actually, feeling happiness, finding it despite the circumstances of one’s past or present, is what leads to true happiness!!!

And of course, there are the adult-teenagers of the gym! Grown-ups with stunted mental development that see the gym (or the fitness social media) as high school, a place to gossip, wallow in drama and petty, snippy derogatory comments and somehow find fulfilment for their empty, vapid souls. For these, I got nothing. They just have to grow up and figure it out. I choose to keep my distance cause I don’t need their toxic chatter in my life.

I am very lucky!! For the most part I have met amazing people, girls like Erica Dougherty, Madison McCullock, Collen Claffey-Velez, Mady Gawerecki, all outstanding competitors I have had the pleasure of being on stage with. They always have encouraging and positive messages and are an inspiration!

My coach, JJ Henry from the Fit Factory, has been a major force in my life! His love for the sport of bodybuilding and his dedication to his athletes, is like an all-consuming fire! Being around him, you cannot help but to get swept up in his enthusiasm! Same goes for the rest of the Fit Factory Crew! And all my teammates, the unity that exists amongst all of us, even if we are only connected through the team, is indisputable, unshakable, unconditional.

Quincy Roberts and Michael Broadway, both amazing show organizers that give us a chance to show our hard work on stage in a professional manner! Dedicated to the core! They inspire me and make me want to continue competing and training others!

And too many others! If I mentioned all this would be very long!!

So here is my question to you? How fit are you spiritually? Do you lift others up, do you help those that need it or do you make fun of them? Do you take progress pics because you want to show the progress, or do you just want likes for validation? Do you want to share your message or do you just want to criticize others for their lack of knowledge? Do you go to the gym to find out the juicy gossip or to train? Do you feel like your life is in balance and fitness is a part of it, or is fitness the only thing you are getting right?....Questions to ponder as we close another year!!!